I’m at LAX killing time before boarding my flight to NY for the Gift Show, eating Sun Chips and Chedder cheese ’cause they’re free in here and I’m cheap and want to get my money’s worth out of my membership in this mini-oasis in the midst of airport chaos.

Not that it’s glamorous in these airport lounges, but it IS kinda glamour-”ish” ’cause it’s calmer in here than in the outside ennui of traveler boredom/crankiness.  AND I’ve been upgraded to Business for my flight, in an exit row no less, so I can’t…or, rather, shouldn’t…complain.  But still, it’s almost an embarrassing waste of money for me to go to the dang Gift Show to stock the store considering the economy.  Even with access to unending celery and ranch dressing, crankiness has followed me into the Red Carpet Club.

But still, despite my funky mood about my chosen profession, I know if I don’t go to NY and see what my spring inventory SHOULD be (if I can afford it), I’m conceding that spring will never come for Homescapes.

I’ll hit the ground running and start in tomorrow looking for product, and there HAS been an interesting development that almost justifies the trip.  Tomorrow I’ll be speaking on a panel at Javitz for an educational seminar called ” Retail Strategies: Using Public Relations to Build Your Business” led by Jenny Heinzen York and Caroline Kennedy, the Editors-in-chief of two of my industry’s most influential magazines, Home Accents Today and Gifts and Decorative Accessories.

As y’all know, it’s not that I’m worried that I won’t have anything to say…after a year of talking live on the radio I’ve got instantaneous blather down pat.  I just hope I have something worthwhile to say.  Thank gawd we’re talkin’ self-promotion.  I’ve been blogging for over 8 years…clearly I know how to talk endlessly about myself.

Homescapes was on the cover of both of the magazines in years past, so I guess they kinda think we know how to publicize ourselves

Stay tuned…I’ll let ya know how it goes.

UPDATE:

The seminar went pretty well, I think.  It was really well attended…unlike the Gift Show in general.  It’s actually discouraging how few buyers are here in relation to years past.  Not only does it bode ill for a turn-around retail-wise in Spring/Summer, badly attended shows usually mean a bunch of manufacturers and whole-sellers hold off on new product development and introductions for the summer Gift Shows and THAT means Christmas might have slim pickens, too.

Hopefully, I’m wrong and I’m just being the voice of doom.

Still, those of us who are HERE will at least have some new stuff to make our stores look seasonally fresh to the stragglin’ few customers who wander through our establishments in upcoming months.

Anyway, the panel discussion was interesting…not because I was part of it, but because of the other three panelists and the editors who spoke.  I was taking notes, too, just like a bunch of the people in the audience. It is funny, though.  Most of the questions from the audience seemed to involve how to get national exposure for our stores, which I admit is fun and flattering, but I really think local coverage is WAY more important for keeping my store viable.  That’s why I always encourage local participation and community involvement to small business owners.

I don’t think that advice is as sexy as getting into Elle Decor or Metropolitan Home and probably sounds like too much work to a lot of people…’cause it is.  (Last year when I was the Chamber Chair there were times I almost felt like it was a more demanding full-time job then the one I’m (trying to be) paid to do at the store.)

Still, I’m a big believer in the “we’re all in this together” theory of life…it takes a village to make a village.

Hmm.  I’m getting as treacly as a Hallmark card.  I better stop now.